Passing by Meeqaat without the intention of performing Hajj or ‘Umrah

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, may Allah exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The person who performs Tamattu’ Hajj comes out of the state of Ihraam whenever he finishes his ‘Umrah unless he immediately enters the state of Ihraam for Hajj. So, he may go Jeddah or anywhere. During his return to Makkah if he passes by Meeqaat intending ‘Umrah then he has to enter in the state of Ihraam otherwise it is not compulsory. The Prophet Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “And these Mawaaqeet (Plural of Meeqaat) are for the residents of those places, and for travelers who come through those places with the intention of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The same ruling applies if one comes back to Makkah from Madeenah after Hajj; if he intends to perform ‘Umrah, he has to enter in the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat. If he does not intend ‘Umrah but comes Makkah for any other purpose like collecting his luggage or the like, then entering in the state of Ihraam is not compulsory. Because observing Ihraam is compulsory only to the one who intends to perform ‘Umrah. However, it is preferable to enter in Makkah with Ihraam intending ‘Umrah for the saying of the Prophet Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ): “Keep on doing Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron and gold and silver.” [At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]

He Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) also said: “(The performance of) ‘Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the next ‘Umrah, and an accepted Hajj has no less a reward than Paradise.”

Know dear brother that Jeddah is not out of the boundaries of the Meeqaat, there is no Meeqaat between it and Makkah. So, going there is just as going to ‘Arafah and the other places which are within the boundaries of the Meeqaat.
Allah Knows best.

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Source: islamweb.net

A Journey To Allah Forever

You end your Hajj journey professing that Hajj is not just a one time journey, but a covenant to live by for the rest of your life. You must go to Hajj, a journey to Allah forever.

Upon arriving at Amman, I was not feeling too well. My biggest fear thus far was that I may get so sick that I will not be able to perform Hajj properly. The first worry was that at Amman how would I take my clothes off and put on the Ihram while feeling this sick? I didn’t know what to do. While standing in front of the bathroom seeing everyone walk in and change into the ihram, I just grabbed my stuff and walked into the bathroom and threw on my ihram. There was a friendly Egyptian man working in the bathroom who helped me put it on. Everyone on the way looked towards the Hajji’s with reverence and asked Allah that they have a successful Hajj mabroor. On the plane, everyone started reciting the Talbiyah. One man stood up reciting and tears were in his eyes as we flew over the miqat. “Labayak Allhuma Umrah”, everyone said in their minds.

Upon reaching Jeddah, my mom and I were happy that the weather was hot, so that I wouldn’t be cold in my ihram. After a few hours, we took a bus to Mecca. Everyone was wondering when they would get a glimpse of the Haram. We thought every little masjid on the way was the Haram, until finally there it was. Between the different buildings, we could see the minarets of the Haram. It was so glorious, and shining with great power. It was absolutely beautiful. Then suddenly the streets had filled up with people – we were arriving right after Fajr. The streets were packed with every ethnicity you can think of. We went to our rooms at Gawharat Najd, just two minutes away from the Haram. Wow, one small room to fit five people, this is going to be something, I thought. We were instructed to perform the Umrah ASAP; I wanted to remove my ihram as well as I still wasn’t feeling that good. So my mom and I, her on her chair, went to do our Umrah.

I walked into the Haram in suspense of when I will see the Kaaba. We walked to the top floor and approached the end of the rail when then we saw it. Wow, it was there – so grand and powerful. The sight of it with hundreds or thousands of people walking around it was so magnanimous. We made our dua and we started our tawaf. I was really tired and unfortunately thought to myself, man I want to finish as quickly as possible so that I can go rest. After the tawaaf, I was too tired to push mom any longer on the wheelchair and ended up in a wheelchair next to her doing Sa’i. When we were done, I didn’t completely shave my head. It was a beautiful feeling. I felt refreshed. I went back to the hotel, took a shower and got some rest. I changed into my regular clothes, which was a white thobe. I was feeling a lot better health-wise. The next four or five days were spent at Mecca. Praying, resting, reflecting and a little bit of shopping. It is a different lifestyle. Our lives in those couple of days revolved around the prayer. We would wake up early to do tawaaf when it wasn’t crowded. Looking at the Kaaba was one of the most enjoyable activities. It felt great to just stare at it. There was so much power there.

Then The Big Day arrived. It was the 8th of Zul Hijjah, time to start Hajj. We were awoken at 1 a.m. to know that the buses were leaving for Mina and that we had to get ready immediately. I took my shower, put on my ihram and packed a small handbag. Upon arriving to Mina, we saw our tent in which we would stay. Wow, I thought, we were going to stay in this tent, and I was complaining about the hotel. We laid down our thin mattresses and set ourselves up. More of our group kept coming and our space started shrinking, the small two feet mattresses were now stuck to each other, so if you spread your arms it would hit your neighbor. Al Hamdullilah. We are so spoiled by our lifestyles.

The next of day, 9th of zul Hijja is the day of Arafah. We waited for our buses in Mina and took off for a short drive to Arafah. Once at Arafah, (again, I was complaining about the AC tent in Mina), now there was an open tent with no AC. But everyone was focused. This was The Big Day. Al Hajj Arafah. If there is one day you really want to focus on, it’s this day. The mountains were beautiful, ranging from brown to red. We had a short talk with our sheikh and we were on our way. Everyone here went into his or her own zone. Chit-chatting here was almost unheard. Everyone was making his case with Allah. Recognizing his previous sins and making a covenant with Allah, to become a new person. Then the rest of the time was spent in Dua. Here, Allah forgives his servants. Here is where He says to His angels, “Look at My servants.” And that is what it’s all about. Millions are at the same place, coming to obtain benefits for themselves. Not wanting anything else but forgiveness from Allah. People don’t go to Hajj as someone goes on vacation, to relax and have a good or okay time. People at Hajj are soldiers on a mission. A mission to answer the call of their Lord and seek His forgiveness as well as ask Him for what is bothering them or what they want. It is almost like a supreme doctor’s visit. You go there and tell Him the troubles you have and ask His assistance. “Wa ma Nasr ela be Allah”. You alone we ask for assistance. Here is where it happens. No one can help you here except Him. Brothers were standing, lying down or sitting conversing with their Creator. Meeting with Him in this grand union, this was like the Day of Judgment. The meeting took place from Zuhr to the Maghreb. The sunset here was another magnificent view.

One then waits again to make it on a bus to Muzdalefa. Upon arrival, the same cycle of surprise, worry, and regret takes place. You are surprised that now there are no tents here you worry about how you will manage, and you regret not giving enough shukr at the previous station. This night was a happy night. You can tell on everyone’s faces, it was almost like everyone felt that they had been forgiven at Arafah, and are here getting even nearer to Allah “Izdelaf”. We ate some crackers and walked around a little, then made our way to get some rest, as the following day would be one of the busiest days. The weather was pretty cold, especially since we were in the open plains with some wind and wearing our Ihram. I had brought a cover over from the hotel so that helped a lot. I dozed off to sleep while feeling different people make their camp next to us, a lot of whom it seemed, were from Turkey. The next morning one woke up having a hard time getting out of the covers because of the cold. This is where I said to myself, I will definitely get a super cold here and be finished. But as Allah had done earlier He pushed me through this in a manner which I had never witnessed before. We hastened our way back to the main camp Mina, which compared to Arafah, and especially Muzdalefa was like a five-star hotel. Al Hamdullilah.

We rested a little, ate and received instructions. At Zuhr, it was game time. We set out for Jamarat, the step which everyone hears so many stories about, which are frankly doing more damage than good. Here, we took our longest walk yet, as transportation is not available for this step. The weak and sick and some, as our group leader called, “female women” stayed back. This was like the military. We walked alongside thousands to go take out the enemy. What people miss though, is the spiritual aspect of this, and turn it into more of a physical mission. But whatever it may be, it is still an adventure. You see the people going there with worry and anxiety on their faces, while the people returning are mostly smiling and chatting. Because of the sheer limited nature of the place and the magnitude of people, this tends to be where you witness the most crowds at Hajj. It is amazing when you first see the large Jamrah which everyone pelts this day. One after the other, hands were just swinging, making an all-out attack on Shaytan. We were worried this first time, so we locked hands and hustled through, fired our ammunition, then retreated and regrouped. At my first throw, I attempted the automatic fire method but failed as all of my rocks fell when another hand hit mine. Usually, we lose a few people here from the group and they had to make their way back alone.

We then continued walking now towards Mecca. We had all missed it very much; those two days out in the mountains made us miss the House of Allah. We walked back and at this point had virtually no energy at all. Given that we threw the Jamarat, and our sacrifice was done on our behalf, all that was left before partial tahlul was either tawaaf el ifadah or shaving of the head. I missed my clothes, even though by this time I had started getting used to the Ihram. A Sudanese brother took some soap and water and shaved my head. This was very refreshing – truly just like a newborn baby. Now I had to do my Tawaaf and Sa’i before returning to Mina that night. I was really tired, but I rolled my chair by myself, went along with about 1 million people or so to do my tawaaf and Sa’i. It was really crowded yet still beautiful. Looking at the faces of people you realize Allah’s power. You realize now what He means when He says that in your creation and faces and colors, are signs for people with understanding. You start seeing Allah’s will and power as opposed to the people themselves. We made our way back to Mina that night, relieved at the fact that we have completed the arkan of Hajj. We spent it in rest, getting to know one another and zikr of Allah. The Jamarat got easier the second and third time.

We then returned to Mecca to say goodbye to the beloved city and House. It is beautiful how Allah calls it “the house”. “El Bet” = the House. This is neither a mansion nor a castle, this is The House. Tawaaf el Wada’, was one of the most crowded. We kept trying to go upstairs but with no hope, Allah wanted us there next to His House on the ground floor. It was less crowded. However, I had to rest, as sleep was attacking me from all doors.

Now comes the beloved city: Madina.

Medina is truly a blessed city. The prophet’s Masjid is such a peaceful and tranquil place. You can almost still see the prophet coming into Madina and the people welcoming the arrival of the most wonderful person on earth to their small city of Yathrib. Here you are in the presence of the prophet and you get to finally meet him. And as the sahaba did, you get to go and tell him that you have heard his message and you have believed and confessed the oneness of Allah and the message of His prophet Muhammad (PBUH). You give your salaams to him along with thousands of others, but you know that the answers you in particular. You have come from distant lands and you have asked for forgiveness from Allah at His house. You get to also visit Masjid Quba, the first masjid in Islam, in which two Rakat after having done wudu’ at home, is equivalent to an Umrah. You get to visit the martyrs of Uhud and all those at Baqe’. Next, to the Prophet (PBUH), you also give your greeting to those closest to him, who followed him in the best way ever seen, Abu Bakr, the friend in the cave, and Omar, the wholehearted enthusiastic, yet a soft-hearted leader. At Baqe’ you visit Uthman who gave endless amounts of his wealth for the sake of Allah, and Khadija the first to believe in Allah’s message and comfort the prophet with wisdom.

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Source:islamicity.org

Preparations For Hajj or Umrah

Preparations For Hajj or Umrah

Preparations For Hajj or Umrah

Choose a travel agent who offers a wide selection of “packages” for Hajj. Not all of the products of travel agents are of equal quality and value. Choosing the right agent is of crucial importance. Hopefully, a representative of your travel agent will be your constant guide and trouble shooter during Hajj. Invest time and effort in this essential phase of your preparation

Talk to friends and acquaintances who may have recently used the services of various companies and ask them for recommendations. The quality of service and commitment to the comfort and well-being of the pilgrims vary significantly among travel agents. Whereas a good and responsible agent can “make” your Hajj, a bad one can just as easily “break” it.

Be sure to ask the travel agent specific questions and have him give you specific answers:

What will be the duration of your stay in Mecca and Medina? What dates? Is the program flexible or will it allow no changes once it is made? Is there any additional cost to such changes? If so, what is it?

How far away will you be staying from Haram ash Shareef, both in Mecca and in Medina? If your place of residence is not within easy walking distance (10-15 minutes), what type of transportation to and from Haram ash Shareef will be made available? How often during the day will it be available?

Will a representative of the travel agent who is fully conversant with the rites of Hajj, and Saudi rules and procedures for customs, immigration, and travel be with you at all times? Will he stay in Saudi Arabia for the duration of your visit? You do not want to be left in Saudi Arabia without adequate guidance and assistance. The laws and procedures there can be very difficult, frustrating, and time-consuming.

Will the representative of the agent be conversant with the Arabic language? If not, will an interpreter be provided in Saudi Arabia? Most Saudi authorities do not speak English, and your command of Arabic is likely to be limited.

Will you have the option of travelling within Saudi Arabia, (for example from Mecca to Medina), in a taxi hired by you at your own expense instead of the prepaid bus provided by your muallim? How about possible return by air from Medina to Jeddah on your way out of the country instead of the usual prepaid bus? Get a good idea of this additional expense.

You may want to use the above options in view of the fact that the bus journeys during Hajj season can be nerve-racking. For example, a bus journey from Mecca to Medina (approximately 400 km or 250 miles) can take as long as twenty to thirty hours, whereas a taxi will cover the same distance in three to four hours. The small additional cost you will incur is well worth the money in terms of time saved and physical discomfort avoided.

If you choose to use any of the alternate travel options (and it is highly recommend that you give them very serious consideration), be sure to redeem your unused bus coupons at Jeddah airport on your way out. Your travel agent should be able to help you in this.

What kind of arrangements will be made for your stay in Mina and Arafat? How about the food arrangements in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah?

Does the price of your package include meals? See if the agents make an effort to vary the menu. You may have to supplement your meals with milk, fruits etc. Food supplied by the agents tends to be monotonous, and the lack of variety is likely to kill your appetite after a couple of days!

Will the agent arrange for a sacrifice on your behalf on the 10th of Zul Hijjah? This is a common service agents often provide for a small fee. They will inform you of the time of the sacrifice so that you may perform other rites accordingly.

source: islamicity.com

Makkah museums attract visitors

Makkah museums attract visitors

Makkah museums attract visitors

MAKKAH — Director of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in Makkah Dr. Faisal Al-Sharif confirmed that that there are classification criteria approved by the commission and applied meticulously to ensure a qualitative leap in museums’ displaying and conservation of artifacts. He pointed out that the objective of the licensing is to raise the level of museums in partnership with their owners, whether they are investors or individuals, to match the international quality standards adopted by the commission in the framework of the initiative launched by the president of the commission entitled “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a Destination for Muslims”.

Some museum owners gave approximate figures about how much demand is out there for museums and looked forward to more visitors with the activation of the role of museums as part of the 2030 Kingdom vision.

Humanity Heritage

Founder of Humanity Heritage Museum Magdu Ahmed Abu Ras says: “The idea of the museum began through a hobby, where I started collecting antiques and artifacts 50 years ago. I bought everything rare or old and began to establish the museum”. He added: “The museum includes 14 halls especially for calligraphy, manuscripts, periodicals, journals, documents, coins and stamps.

Islamic Dinar

Islamic Dinar Museum was founded in 1419. The founder of the museum Mohammad Omar Natoo says: “Starting as a hobby since childhood in the collection of Islamic coins, and my belief in the importance of preserving the Islamic and national heritage, I worked on the collection of a number of gold, silver and copper coins, as well as all monetary versions of Saudi Arabia’s currency, and some manuscripts, weapons and historical documents.”

Al-Amoudi Heritage

Al-Amoudi starred building the museum 20 years ago, according to its founder, Abu Bakr Al-Amoudi, who said: “We built the museum in an old-fashioned way made of mud and milk mixture and covered the ceiling with palm fronds on an area of 2,000 square meter on the Makkah-Jeddah highway 20 years before the road was officially opened in 1435H”.

He pointed out that the museum aims to introduce the Saudi heritage of the various regions of the Kingdom in general, and displays the Makkah heritage in particular in addition to historical, cultural and social parameters, and to highlight the bright present and the current renaissance in Makkah.

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Article by: saudigazette.com.sa

Shortage of domestic aides as Ramadan approaches

Ramadan is around the corner and with it comes an increased demand for and black-marketeering of domestic helpers.
According to Abdullah Nashmi, director of a recruitment office in Jeddah, before Ramadan, the demand for domestic workers increases so much that the transfer of a housemaid can reach up to SR50,000, and domestic workers also demand increases in their salaries. Sometimes they seek more than SR6,000 during Ramadan.
He also said they picked up few messages on social networking sites where availability of housemaids is advertised for work during Ramadan. Such messages are showing up on social networking sites such as WhatsApp where a broker puts mobile phone numbers to communicate with an agent to provide housemaids for Ramadan.
According to Yahya Al-Maqbool, chairman of another recruitment agency in Jeddah, majority of the domestic workers, local brokers, sponsors and relatives exploit the season.
He stressed that such people who exploit the season should be punished and tough sanctions should be applied on practitioners, and the ministry should monitor such behavior, which is harming the area of recruitment and work in Saudi Arabia.

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Ramadan, a precious gift for Muslims

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Haramain rail test runs positive

Haramain rail test runs positive

Haramain rail test runs positive

MAKKAH — Test runs have proved that there is no need to change the present track of Haramain high speed railway that links the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah.
“Not any of these tests have showed the need to change the track of Haramain rail,” a senior official of the Saudi Railway Organization was quoted as saying by Makkah newspaper.
He said the tests have not affected the schedule for operation of the railway. “These are essential technical measures followed globally. A number of technical and safety tests are required before launching the railway’s regular service,” he explained.
He said the main Haramain stations in Jeddah, Makkah and Rabigh would be opened shortly for school students to visit to promote a culture of using public transport.
“The culture of railway and public transport is something new to our society. There is a need to educate them about public transport system in order to prepare them to deal with it positively and preserve its huge facilities including stations and trains,” he explained.
The visits by public and private school students would help them understand how to use the railway system and how to enter and exit from the train.
Managements of railway stations are now in the process of allocating places for shops and restaurants to investors and businessmen before the final launch of the railway, which is set to revolutionize transport of pilgrims and other passengers between the three cities.
“There is no change in the schedule of the project as works are in progress simultaneously in its Makkah, Jeddah, Dhahban, Rabigh, Wadi Al-Fara and Madinah sectors,” he said.
Asked about renting places inside the railway stations, the official said it would be decided by the project’s operator. “All stations are now ready and are provided with necessary services, infrastructure facilities and parking areas for passengers,” he said, adding that tenders would be invited before allocating places for shopping centers, restaurants and other businesses.

Article by: saudigazette.com.sa

Jeddah airport busy with Umrah pilgrims

Jeddah airport busy with Umrah pilgrims

JEDDAH — Some 2.859 million Umrah pilgrims arrived and departed the Kingdom through Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) since the start of Umrah season in the middle of December, according to an airport official.
About 1.7 million Umrah pilgrims arrived and nearly 1.159 million departed the Kingdom through the Jeddah airport, said Turki Altheeb, Manager of Public Relations & Media at KAIA.
Umrah passengers arrived on 13,046 flights and departed on 6,542 flights, he said, adding that over 7,000 employees have been assigned from the public and private sectors to serve them.
A statistical report issued by KAIA said that 18,036 Umrah pilgrims on 137 flights arrived on Monday evening, while 14,004 departed on the same day on board 72 international flights.
The Haj and Umrah terminal complex at KAIA has 14 arrival and departure lounges totally dedicated to serve Umrah and Haj pilgrims.
The complex has 26 airplane parking bays, 10 passenger boarding bridges, two operation centers, a control tower, 18 travel gates, 14 travel lounges for pilgrims, 143 immigration counters, 120 counters for Ministry of Haj commissions, 224 counters for United agent offices and 254 travel counters. The length of the luggage conveyor belt is 1.180 meters, which also features a first class and VIP lounges.
The terminal had a 123-room hotel, which includes a food court and a commercial area measuring 9.418 SQM in total.
There are 20 waiting lounges at the Haj Plaza, as well as 40 praying areas, in addition to 32 bathroom facilities.

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Article by: saudigazette.com.sa